WEBVTT
-- BUT
PSYCHOLOGISTS SAY THEY'RE
STAYING PRETTY BUSY, TOO
ANGELA: THE WORD OF THIS
ELECTION YEAR APPEARS TO BE
ANXIETY.
THAT'S ELECTION ANXIETY.
I TALKED TO A LICENSED
PSYCHOLOGIST TODAY AND SHE SAYS
IT'S SOMETHING HER PATIENTS ARE
TALKING ABOUT.
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
CONTENTIOUS ELECTIONS OF ALL
TIMES AND THE VAST DIFFERENCE IN
EXTREME VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE
CANDIDATES IS CREATING MOR
ANXIETY AND STRESS I THINK THAN
IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS SO Y
HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF AMERICANS
WHO ARE EXPRESSING FEAR ANGER
STRESS AND ANXIETY AND AS WE GET
CLOSER THE THE ELECTION THAT
ANXIETY IS INCREASING.
REPORTER: HER ADVICE,
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR FEELINGS AND
NOTICE THEM BUT DON'T LET THEM
CONSUME YOU
DEEP BREATHING
HAVE WORRY TIME DON'T LET YOUR
WHOLE DAY BE CONSUMED WITH
WORRYING GIVE YOURSELF, GIVE
YOURSELF 5 MINUTES A DAY TO
WORRY ABOUT IT
LIMIT YOUR MEDIA EXPOSURE
INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA
NOW SHE SAYS TALKING ABOUT IT IS
ALSO GOOD AND YOU SHOULD NOT
HOLD IT IN
LIVE IN WEST PALM BEACH ANGELA

Election officials in Palm Beach County are calling this election year early voting numbers historic.

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Friday morning, the line outside the early voting site located at the Palm Beach County Lantana Road library at 4020 Lantana Road was wrapped around the building and stretched nearly to the street.

Early voter Benchely Demosthenes didn’t mind waiting in line.

"I’m so happy to be voting today. So the service is very good. I waited about 35 minutes, not so long," said Demosthenes.

The Supervisor of Elections in Palm Beach County, Susan Bucher, is expecting even more people to vote early over the weekend.

"Early voting has far surpassed anything we imagined. In 2012, we turned out just under 125,000 early voters, and as of last night, with still some days left, we’ve turned out 178,000 plus," said Bucher.

Bucher said the numbers are historic.

"Every single day, we’ve seen record turnouts here in Palm Beach County, and I’m proud to announce our vote by mail absentee ballots are coming in, we’ve mailed just under 200,000 absentee ballots, which is historic for us, and right now getting back in 120,000 and expect to get a lot more back," said Bucher.

Bucher said that if you want to avoid the long lines, visit some of the less busy early voting sites, such as the City of West Palm Beach Police community room, the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach and the Ezell Hester Community Center in Boynton Beach.

Some voters admit that this year’s election is stressful, and Licensed Psychologist Rachel Needle says some patients are talking about it.

"This is one of the most contentious elections of all time and the vast difference in extreme views expressed by the candidates is creating more anxiety and stress I think than in previous elections, so you have a large number of Americans who are expressing fear, anger, stress and anxiety, and as we get closer the election, that anxiety is increasing," said Needle.

Her advice:

- Acknowledge your feelings and notice them, but don’t let them consume you- Deep breathing - Have worry time; don’t let your whole day be consumed with worrying. Give yourself five minutes a day to worry about it- Limit your media exposure, including social media